Miniaturization of electronic components, such as integrated circuits, finds extremely small conductive traces spaced on close centers to make such components vulnerable to voltage spikes or transients that represent overvoltages present in the signals transmitted to such components. Excessive voltages cause overstress to such components and result in damage or destruction, and a resulting failure of function. Excessive voltages come in many forms caused from many sources ranging from electrostatic build-up that can exceed 15,000 volts to induced voltages caused by lightning strike or an accidental engagement with a high voltage line. U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,638 granted Feb. 23, 1988 is drawn to a transient suppression assembly wherein bi-directional diodes are incorporated into an electrical connector, the diodes having voltage breakdown characteristics to shunt excessive voltage levels to ground circuits associated with such a connector. As will be discerned from such a patent, the addition of diodes and the necessary substrates associated therewith, takes up space inside the connector and requires the handling of a number of discrete components such as the diodes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,991 granted Feb. 23, 1988, an electrical overstress protection material is disclosed comprised of a matrix formed of a mixture of conductive and semi-conductive particles coated with insulating material to provide chains within the matrix which act in the presence of excessive voltage to conduct the unwanted voltage levels to ground and to clamp the related circuits at a given lower voltage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,357 granted Dec. 11, 1990, is drawn to a further overvoltage protection material and to an over voltage protection device that allows very small dimensional structures to be used in component overvoltage and overstress protection.
The present invention has as an object an improvement over prior art overvoltage protection devices that allows a simplification of structure, particularly for multi-contact connectors or circuits. The invention has as a further object an improved overvoltage protection apparatus or device and method therefor that provides, in a single structure, an integrated overvoltage protection applicable to multiple contacts in relation to a use in connectors or circuits. The invention has as a still further object a simple, small, readily integrated, overvoltage protection element adapted to be incorporated into electrical connectors of different configurations.